In this personality interview with Oduduwa News, the Executive Secretary/CEO of Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Muideen Babatunde Olatunji explained how he rose through the ranks, gave update on the ongoing recruitment process and how he has been able to work round the clock to ensure the repositioning of primary health care system in line with the vision of the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde.
Can we meet you?
I am Dr. Muideen Babatunde Olatunji, I am a native of Ibadan. I had my elementary and secondary education here in Ibadan before I proceeded to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife to obtain my medical degree. I have served as the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association NMA Oyo State Branch before I later ascended the position of Chairman. I joined Oyo State Civil Service in 2000 and I have served as President of Ibadan Metropolitan Lions Club; I am the Mogaji of my family, Ajayida, Idi-Arere. I am the immediate Past Secretary of Ibadan Progressive Union; I am a member of Ibadan Golf Club and currently I am the Executive Secretary of Oyo State Primary Health Care Board. By and large, that is the brief I can recall for now.
As the Executive Secretary of Primary Health Care Board, can you let us know some areas of achievements and the status of PHCs in Oyo State?
When I got appointed, the Board was just evolving and one thing we emphasized was to strengthen the principle and the concept of PhCs under one roof and we ensured we worked towards that. To the glory of God I was able to thick all the boxes for the different nine pillars required for a full functional primary health care system.
When we came on board, all health care personnel were under the supervision of Local Government Civil Service Commission and by the dictate of the law they supposed to be under the supervision of Primary Health Care Board. We were able to achieve the restructuring with the support of the former Head of Service, Alhaja Amidat Agboola and the Permanent Secretary of Local Government Service Commission, Akin Funmilayo and as I am speaking to you our workforce is now under the full control of Primary Health Care Board.
Also, we have been able to upgrade and innovate primary health care facilities and we are currently upgrading at least one health centre in each of the 351 political wards with medical facilities. As at today, we have been able to complete the innovation and upgrading of 210 health care facilities and 90 are currently at different stages of conclusion. It should be noted also that since the inception of our administration, and in line with the vision of Gov Makinde, we have been able to ensure adequate funding for the health care system in Oyo State and was able to facilitate FG-World Bank sponsored grants to PhCs among which is the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) and we were able to create our counterpart fund for the execution of the project.
In addition, we have been able to digitalize health care system in Oyo State and the laudable one we have achieved in recent time is the IMPACT project which is currently ongoing. Through the project, we have been able to equip 264 primary health care facilities with reasonable medical equipment and we have been able to equip PHCs with ICT materials by procuring for them 264 laptops to assist them in data management. Above all, we are prioritizing stable and adequate running cost for the smooth operation of PHCs in all Local Government Areas.
Since inception of my administration, we have been able to introduce mental health in PHC service delivery and we are also bringing on board dental and eye care system at PHC level. By and large, we have been able to push for routine immunization and in testament to our performance was the vaccination we provided during COVID-19 and this made Oyo State to be ranked among the best performing States in Nigeria. We are also working assiduously to promote our work through media engagement and we are working with all stakeholders to ensure efficient service delivery to the people at the grassroots.
Some people in rural areas still find it difficult to have access to PHCs, what are the measures put in place to address this?
We have been able to promote the principle of world health system whereby we ensure that one functional health facility operates in each of the political ward. As at today, we have 351 wards in Oyo State and I can confidently say that we have 351 health care facilities functioning in all the 351 wards. Although, we have more than that as we have virtually about 750 health care facilities in the State but what we did when we came on board was to ensure that we were able to spread them such that every ward will have at least one functioning health care system. We are also working collaboratively with health insurance provider and most importantly the vulnerable ones are being enrolled into social health insurance to be able to receive medical care at the PhCs. We have procured alot of drugs and this we are supplying to PHCs for people to get free of charge. PHC is about grassroots and what we are trying to do is that one health care facility must be able to take care of medical concern of people within 5km radius to where the facility is domiciled and this is trekable distance for anybody to go and get medical attention.
In 2019, Nigerian Governors’ Forum outlined 5 point agenda in line with Seattle declaration, one of which is the recruitment of requisite workforce. If you get to some PHCs, they are understaffed and we believe there is ongoing recruitment process, is it to address that?
When we came on board we were able to put together minimum service package document and in that document we were able to do gap analysis of various areas of intervention, among which is the area of human resources and we were able to observe wide gap in human resources. As at today, based on that document, we have been able to present to the executive governor the need for the engagement of more hands in the PHCs and today we are engaging about 30% of our needs to add to the pool of workforce in the system. So we are recruiting almost 4000 personnel to work at the PHCs level and those personnel will be distirbuted to all 33 LGAs in Oyo State. The State is working assiduously to ensure adequate staffing at the PHCs and in the next few weeks the process will be completed and successful candidates will be deployed to where they would work.
As expert, what do you think will curb the ‘japa syndrome’ in health sector as there is dearth of health workers especially in PHCs?
Everybody is ‘japaing’ because we are now in free market economy where movement of labour is not restricted and is quite disheartening that the country has invested so much in the training of health care personnel but the country has not been able to reap the reward of its investment while foreign countries continue to reap the fruits. Although, the “japa syndrome” is not only in health care system alone as it is now rampant among the youths irrespective of their line of careers. What we should have been asking is that, why is the trend going upward? What exactly causing the brain drain? How can we address it and make sure that those things attracting health care personnel to other countries are put in place here to be able to slower the trend.
The PHCs staff are closer to the people in the grassroots and as such they are susceptible to kidnapping and banditry attacks. What are the measures put in place to ensure adequate safety of health care workers?
We are prioritizing security and welfare of health care personnel at the PHCs level. Truly, we have heard cases of kidnapping and killing of healthcare workers but what we do is to collaborate with security agencies and the stakeholders within the community to ensure the safety of our personnel. We are adopting community based approach though engagement with locals and security agencies to provide adequate security to our facilities especially in the volatile zone.
The ongoing recruitment in PHCs, what can you say about the process so far?
You know when you are dealing with recruitment of about 4000 people you have to be meticulous to achieve the best. In the recruitment of this magnitude, you have to ensure that you scrutinize the process very well to ensure that the best are selected as you know that health workers deal with lives and you can’t take chances. What I can say is that the process is still yet to be concluded and we are currently at the collation stage. In few weeks the successful candidates will be deployed to their various places of assignment.
In recent time the PHCs requested those who scored below cutoff marks in Nursing cadre to come for make-up test, what motivated that?
Yes, only in one cadre, it was carried out to meet up with the total number of applicants we required in the Nursing cadre and we decided to give second chance to those who scored below 50 to write the second test and whosoever that scored below the 50% benchmark in the makeup test would be automatically disqualified because everything we have been doing is based on merit in line with the vision of our Boss, Engineer Seyi Makinde.
Prospective applicants are curious to know their status having seen applicants from other cadres of civil service getting their appointment letters, when exactly the candidates will be shortlisted and given appointment letters?
It is normal for humanbeings to be a little bit impatient but what we are doing is that we want to achieve the best in the recruitment process. We are prioritizing meritocracy and we gave them chance to write exam and thereafter we invited those who scored 50 and above being the threshold for the interview. So, in the interview we subjected them to further scrutiny and if any candidate didn’t scale through the interview process such person would be disqualified. We did this so that we could separate shaft from the grains.
Generally, what do you have to say as regards PHCs in Nigeria?
PHCs are getting better in Nigeria and Oyo State is one of the leading states and we are not resting on our oars until we fully achieve our target.
Thanks and best regards.